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Megaera was definitely lacking in experience when it came to foals but she was warming quickly to the presence, a good thing since they seemed to be cropping up all around Dragon’s Throat. She liked their energy and zest, of which this spotted one was a lively example. Even Ryuu, limited in his mobility, had such a polite sweetness and a fierce determination all in one package. This is why she was a warrior, Meg thought, to protect these innocents as they grew, to give them a home and ensure that they didn’t have to grow up as she had, under tyranny and fear,

Meg smiled indulgently down at Spice as she answered eagerness to help. There really wasn’t much help needed as she wouldn’t dare to let this filly to close to the pit, but she liked the girl’s attitude all the same. She glanced toward to moving wall, oranges and reds of molten fire restricted behind the crystal shelf; Beautiful, but it served to assess point to the flames they needed so out the cave they must go. Happy as she might be to pass the time with socializing, there was a task to be done. “Well then we best go and fetch our fire and take it back for Gaucho. Follow me, little Spice.”

With a pointed look at Hector and a flick of her eyes toward Alija, Meg bent to clamp the oil-soaked branch in her teeth again and made for the cave’s entrance hoping that the filly would follow. If Hector could make sure that the very pregnant mare got home alright, then Meg could wrangle this spritely youth. She hoped Alija wouldn’t be too uncomfortable with Hector, she’d pop back and find them when she’d seen he branch to the bridge and hopefully that wouldn’t take very long.

With her customary brisk pace, she soon was out of the caverns and coming up on the gaping maw of Helovia’s Heart. She stopped and turned to face her little follower, if she’d come, and doped the stick to free her mouth. Adopting the sternest expression she was capable of, Meg stared the filly down “Now you’ll wait here while I go in, understand? It wouldn't do to have you fall in…” she softened and added a small wink for levity “…like I did once.”

She joked about it now, but the experience had been no laughing matter and the burns she had sustained had kept her grounded for months afterward. The waving lines of scarred tissues still stretched across her legs and muzzle, a ledger of lessons learned across her skin. Taking the branch firmly in her teeth on the undipped side, Meg took a moment to steel herself. She was afraid, how could she not be after a tumble into that fire, but the fear was a challenge, and that made her all the more eager to go. And she was smarter now, stronger, faster, and better that she had been. Red sand flew, kicked up by the gust as her wings dropped and the warrior launched into the air.

She’d planned this out on her way north, and smoothly put her plan into action. Up she went, then in a wide sweeping circle around the fires to gain some momentum. She circled again, picking up speed and chose her place to cross. A twitch of wings and she straitened, aiming across the center of the gap and flew level in a swirl of wind above the flames and only the slightest down ward slope. In an instant she tucked her wings and rolled sideways. The mare spun through the air like an arrow, and the branch in her teeth, sticking far out to one side caught the top of the flames and ignited. She moved fast enough that a second later she had reached the ledge on the other side and dropped to branch and leaping over it as it continued to burn cheerfully on the ground. Yards away she dropped as quickly as she could and rolled in the dust to efficiently smother the few singes along the top of her left wing. The burn was superficial, only a handful of feathers that now had a bit of a charred edge, and she was smiling with the triumph of her success as she sprung back to her feet and sent a shivering shake down her spine. A few quick steps and she caught up the branch in her teeth again with the black end covered in a small bright blaze.

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Notes: Wheeee!!! That was fun! So this thread can definitely continue, just wanted to make sure we officially got the fire 